TORONTO, February 9, 2010 -- Lewis Molot, professor in York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, has received more than $265,000 over three years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The award will fund Molot’s experiment to assess the effect of sulfate levels on several impacts associated with excessive fertilization of lakes. The study will be conducted in a remote, fishless lake in northwestern Ontario’s Experimental Lake Area.

While sulfate occurs naturally, acid deposition has led to higher levels in lakes in eastern Canada. Sulfate is believed to play a key role in regulating various microbial processes in North American lakes and differences in sulfate concentrations may explain variance among individual lakes.

By adding sodium sulfate to one lake, Molot and his collaborators will be able to observe its effect on several processes, including the abundance and timing of toxic algal blooms and the rate at which mercury is incorporated into the food chain. A set of control experiments will receive sodium chloride, which could provide useful information about how the increasing use of road salt, due to slow yet steady increases in year-round cottage country traffic, is affecting lakes in the province’s central and northern areas.

Molot’s team includes York graduate student Shelley McCabe and researchers at Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the University of Alberta, the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph.

“Environmental research is one of York University’s internationally-recognized strengths,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president Research & Innovation. “Research projects such as Professor Molot’s underscore the importance of maintaining sustainable ecosystems in our lakes and protecting our fresh water supply now and in the future.”

The announcement was made by Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) on February 8, 2010. “Our government is investing in research and development to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life of Canadians,” noted Goodyear. “These projects will help universities develop, attract and retain the world’s best researchers, while building a strong foundation for future economic growth across Canada.”

Molot’s project is among 122 chosen to receive a total of $53.5 million in funding under NSERC’s Strategic Project Grants program, which aims to turn the results of academic research into real benefits for Canadians. It fosters partnerships among industry, academia and governments, and increases research and training in areas that could enhance Canada’s economy, society or environment in the coming decade.

“The research done through these projects will lead to important benefits for Canadians,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. “We expect the results to include advances in renewable energy, progress toward the development of a quantum computer, improvements in screening for cancer and much more.”

For a complete list of NSERC recipients, visit NSERC’s Web site.

NSERC is a federal agency whose vision is to help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators to the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports some 28 000 students and post-doctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11 800 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 Faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

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Media Contact:

Elizabeth Monier-Williams, Research Communications, York University, 416 736 2100 x21069 / eamw@yorku.ca